The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge is pictured above in June 2012. (Photo courtesy NNSA)

A new class of employees at the Y-12 National Security Complex is being evaluated for possible inclusion in a worker compensation program that involves certain illnesses and work at sites affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy.

The class of employees being evaluated now would have worked at Y-12 between January 1, 1958, through December 31, 1976, and they would have had an aggregate total of at least 250 work days, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on Friday. The class could change, however, based upon the evaluation.

The decision to evaluate the petition for the Y-12 employees was announced by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

It’s not clear when the petition was filed, who filed it, or how long the evaluation might take. Oak Ridge Today has requested more information from the CDC. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools reported Wednesday that it is monitoring student and staff attendance as people across the United States monitor the flu and flu-related concerns.

“Currently, our absenteeism rate is at 12 percent, which is clearly lower than surrounding school systems,” Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health reported on Twitter.

Anderson County Schools announced it would be closed Thursday and Friday because of widespread illness among students and staff members. Other area schools have closed as well, including Clinton and Lenoir City schools, and Campbell, Knox, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties. [Read more…]

On Tuesday, Anderson County Director of Schools Tim Parrott announced that the system will be closed on Thursday, February 8, and Friday, February 9, because of widespread illness among students and staff members. One of those days will be made up on Monday, April 2, which had been scheduled to be an in-service day for teachers.

Asked after the announcement why schools would be open today (Wednesday, February 7) when officials already knew they would be out the following two days, Parrott in an email said “there is always a chance that both student and teacher attendance will improve (on Wednesday). The leadership team met and decided that it would be best to close school Thursday and Friday. This will give extra time for the students to get well and to clean and disinfect the schools.” [Read more…]

More staff members have been reporting that they are ill, and the school system is not able to provide enough substitutes to fill in for teachers, teacher assistants, and transportation and food service workers, Oak Ridge Schools said in a Thursday afternoon statement.

“Due to this lack of available substitutes, we have decided to close school and the school administration on Friday, February 10,” the statement said.

The school system said student learning and safety are its main priorities, and officials have been monitoring the number of students and staff that have been unable to attend school due to illness. [Read more…]

Several times I thought I saw the silhouette of angels moving around behind Chaplain Sills as I recently interviewed him in the Methodist Medical Center chapel. Reverend Jack Sills certainly needs angelic assistance in his role as the hospital chaplain here in Oak Ridge.

Just as you would expect, Chaplain Sills is a calm, gentle man who exudes kindness and understanding. This year, he will celebrate his 25th anniversary as the only full-time hospital chaplain Oak Ridge has ever had. He calls his role a “specialized form of ministry.”

Chaplain Sills describes his ministry as “the representative presence of the hospital’s belief that God is important in the care of patients, families, and staff.” He explained this to mean that the belief in God for human beings is important. His role in practical terms comes down to being a visible presence. Chaplain Sills continued: “Being present gives opportunity to others to discuss spiritual or emotional concerns without an agenda. I consider these to be holy moments.